Greenland’s location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems and for monitoring vessels in the region.
The US already has more than 100 military personnel stationed at its missile-monitoring station on Greenland and, under existing agreements with Denmark, it has the power to station as many troops as it wants there.
But in recent years, there has been increased interest in Greenland’s natural resources – including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron – that are becoming easier to access as climate change thaws its ice sheet.
Several European nations have rallied to support Denmark.
The UK sent a military officer to Greenland earlier this week as part of a so-called reconnaissance mission that also included personnel from the other European nations now facing the possibility of new tariffs.
Trump said on Saturday that they were “playing a very dangerous game” and had put the “Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet” at risk.
The eight nations said in their joint statement on Sunday: “As members of Nato, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest.”
The planned, Danish-led exercise “responds to this necessity” and “poses no threat”, it added.
“We will continue to stand united and co-ordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty.”
Tariffs are taxes on foreign products paid to the government imposing them by the companies importing them, not the exporting countries themselves.
However, the levies can harm those economies as those companies may decide to import fewer products due to the extra cost.
